


Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus

by Alfer



Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ancient Rome, F/F, Gladiators, Killing Eve Week 2021, Spies & Secret Agents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 12:09:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30122559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alfer/pseuds/Alfer
Summary: “Hey Eve! Your gladiatrix is here.”Eve blinked, called out of her own musings by Elena’s teasing voice. She quickly turned around, letting the cloth she had been cleaning the counter with fly at her friend’s head. Elena caught it easily and giggled, pointing to the south of the road in front of their Thermopolium.And sure enough, strutting down the street like she was Divine Venus incarnated, came Oksana.
Relationships: Eve Polastri/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova
Comments: 7
Kudos: 52
Collections: Killing Eve Week 2021





	Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus

**Author's Note:**

> Most names didn't need to be changed, but Bill is a very modern nickname. So here, he is Wilhelm.

Rome, Eve had decided from the first time she saw it, was a very silly place. Prone to violent uprisings too. And full of people with big appetites and more gold than what they knew to do with. It was Wilhelm, the Batavian trader she made friends with years ago, who suggested they might do Emperor Augustus a favor and show his subjects what actually decent food looked like.

Thus, their small business was born. Technically, it was Wilhelm’s, but Eve had been running it for some time with Elena’s help. The _ thermopolium _ thrived under their wise administration. Or rather, under Eve’s excellent dumplings and Elena’s amazing decorations.

The younger woman had arranged for a promising Greek painter to illustrate their counters with as many Roman and Greek symbols as possible. A Baccho bringing life to the party there, some Nereids having fun here, that type of thing. Only the bastard sent in his apprentice instead, a slip of a Germanic boy who tried to flirt with Eve incessantly. Wilhelm had been visiting with his family to watch the debacle, and had delighted in teasing Eve over it, and the boy for being part of a rival tribe from his.

At least the  _ denarii _ and annoyance had been worth it. The counters did look beautiful, and their clientele had enough sense to not mess with it too much. So long as they had their food, their wine, and their  _ garum _ , the clients behaved themselves well enough.

Even if most of them were robbers, thieves, prostitutes, and not that famous gladiators. Eve had dreams of serving the tables of patricians once, but Wilhelm had been right. It was the people at large who needed food and would be willing to pay for the things he and Eve, at the time, could make. It was a smart observation of his, not that Eve would ever say it outloud.

(She did once, while piss drunk on the one amphora of decent rice wine they could find in the entire city. Wilhelm graciously only reminded her of it about once a month, the bastard.)

“Hey Eve! Your gladiatrix is here.”

Eve blinked, called out of her own musings by Elena’s teasing voice. She quickly turned around, letting the cloth she had been cleaning the counter with fly at her friend’s head. Elena caught it easily and giggled, pointing to the south of the road in front of their  _ Thermopolium _ .

And sure enough, strutting down the street like she was Divine Venus incarnated, came Oksana.

Or Achillea, as she called herself in the arena.

A tall woman, blonde, pale and strong as most northerners are, but who could speak latin and greek better than most senator’s sons. Eve had traded the tale of her arrival in Rome for Oksana’s in a past conversation. The woman was born to one of Scythia’s many tribes, but was taken to Rome as part of the spoils of one of Augustus’ main advisors, Konstantin.

“ _ Lucky for him, the old man wanted a bodyguard, not a bed-warmer”. _ She had said then, tearing into a plate of Eve’s dumplings like she hadn’t eaten in days.

The counters were practically empty at this time of day, most people having already gotten their fill and left for work, while the night crowd wouldn’t come out for another few hours. Oksana was usually part of the latter, so seeing her in the light of the afternoon sun surprised Eve a little.

Very inappropriately to Roman eyes, Oksana was dressed in a man’s tunic, colored dark blue with a golden belt at the waist. Her feet were clad in sturdi  _ calcei _ , finely made. Jewelry adorned her throat, a beautiful necklace shining silver even at this distance. On her left arm, a snake made of gold wrapped around the hard muscle of her bicep. Every one of the thieves in the neighborhood must have salivated at the sign of gold, but they all knew better than to try their luck at stealing from a professional killer.

She was easily the best dressed person to visit Eve’s establishment. Definitely better than Eve, in her hardy linen tunic, now a faded yellow as she hadn’t had the time to redye it yet.

The most beautiful too. Her hazel eyes shone with that wicked, familiar gleam. Her hair was done up in a simple roman style, a few loose strands framing her face. The scars scattered around her arms and legs seemed to enhance her beauty, instead of distracting from it.

“Hi Eve.”

Her accent was heavy, but Eve had learned, only when she allowed it to be so.

“You came early. What can I get you?”

Oksana turned to Elena, not so conspicuously eavesdropping nearby.

“Hare, three portions. Some cheese and a jar of spiced wine”

Eve’s eyebrows raised. Oksana ate like a bear, so the number of portions requested wasn’t a surprise, but she usually asked for Eve’s dumplings and water instead.

“Hmm, sure, I’ll get right to it.” Elena said, giving Eve a look before turning to the pots and crates in the back.

“I’ll get your wine, then.” Eve tilted her head even as she said so, a question unvoiced.

“No, stay here. I want… I would like to talk with you.”

Eve narrowed her eyes, not quite sure if this was business or Oksana flirting. Not that the two didn’t happen at once often, but there was something different in the air now.

“Alright. Any news you want to share?”

Oksana’s smile was both sweet and full of teeth. Elena once said the only person not freaked out by it in the entire street was Eve.

“Many, but I’ll start with something you’ll like.”

She leaned closer and spoke, with a small amount of difficulty, in Eve’s mother tongue.

“The Mucia house will be unguarded tomorrow night. Everyone in the house will get very drunk celebrating the son’s return, and the  _ spartoli _ were told not to bother them.”

Eve nodded, leaning back as Elena placed the food on the counter. She took the jar of wine and the cups from her friend, smiling her thanks, and served both herself and Oksana.

“I’m sure they will have a very nice party. Shame how things get lost when those happen.”

She spoke slowly, allowing Oksana the time to unravel her words as she took a sip of the wine. It really was no wonder their business was doing well, Elena knew exactly how to mix in the spice without ruining the wine.

Oksana grinned impishly at her, nodding her understanding.

“But you didn’t have to come here in the middle of the day to tell me that.” Eve said, now in latin.

She picked at her cheese, savoring her bites while Oksana inhaled her meal. Before falling upon the second plate, she answered.

“No, but I wanted to see you. It is nice, talking with you.”

Eve tried to hide her smile behind her next bite, but from the way Oksana grinned, she didn’t succeed.

Between finishing their food and the jar of wine, they did talk. Nothing important. Well, not to anyone else. But Eve learned a few more things about Oksana, useless trivia to others, precious to her. Like how loud she laughed at a terrible joke about the Divine Julius assassination that might get both of them lynched if Eve had told it in latin. 

Eve might have let a bit more of herself show too, but what was the harm? Only Oksana would understand.

Their talk was a mess of languages, both competing to see who could learn the other’s faster. Eve knew latin and greek, the germanic dialect Bill spoke, some of Elena’s mother tongue, a bit of gaulish and some iberian. Oksana knew an obscene amount of dialects of all these and more.

Konstantin had been wise to choose her. Didn’t mean Eve wanted to twist his neck any less.

Gladiatorial training was brutal, and Oksana had only been a girl when she was thrown into his  _ ludus _ . Eve could not deny its efficiency, she had seen more than a few of Oksana’s - Achillea’s - fights, there was not one other gladiatrix or gladiator in the entire city who could square up to her. It was the perfect training for a bodyguard.

And amazing cover for one of the emperor’s top assassins. Out in plain sight.

Their conversation hit a lull, a comfortable silence descending over them, even with the always present background noise of the Empire’s heart all around them.

Oksana took Eve’s hand in her own. Eve laced their fingers together.

“I’m going to fight the  _ Lamia _ tomorrow.”

Eve’s eyes widened. She hissed, Panic taking a hold of her heart.

“ _ What?! _ Konstantin said he had gotten you out of that bracket.”

Oksana shrugged, far too unbothered about this for Eve’s liking. Gladiatorial fights rarely ended in death, but this particular spectacle was supposed to have a fight to the death between the ‘barbarian warrior women of the far north.’

“He tried, but there’s a man from a lesser branch of the  _ Claudia _ …”

Eve’s eyes narrowed dangerously at the mention, she knew who it was. A burly red-haired bastard of the  _ Claudia _ , most of the rabble Eve fed would gladly tear him apart if she pointed them at him. Bastard or not, she couldn't do it without permission first. There would be… consequences, if she acted on her own against such a high-profile target. 

But oh, she was tempted.

Oksana saw her reaction and nodded.

“He arranged it. Do not worry, I will kill her and be back in time for dinner.”

There was no doubt in Oksana’s voice, only the simple certainty of her victory.

“You better be, or I’m dragging you here myself.”

Oksana laughed, leaning over and kissing Eve quickly. It was a bit of a risk, but almost all the clientele knew Eve was Achillea’s woman by now anyways. So what was the harm? Eve kissed back, worry making her usual distaste for public affection mute.

Pulling back, Eve whispered. “Don’t die, and don’t get cocky. Do what you need to do quickly, no running around the walls with her corpse this time, got it?”

It was a valid concern. The last time there had been a gladiatorial battle large enough to warrant death of trained slaves, Oksana had decided to earn her stage name and copied the Divine Achilles’ actions with some unlucky gaulish man as her Hector. Eve had watched it entranced. That was the first time she set eyes on Oksana.

Oksana’s pout was worthy of the theater. 

“Between you and Konstantin, I don’t know who cuts into my fun more.”

It was Eve’s turn to pout, even if she didn’t want to. Being compared to Konstantin was not her idea of a compliment. Sobering, Eve again switched to her own tongue.

“This is not a coincidence. Are the Twelve patrician families up to something? The last few robberies and beatings should have throw them off the scent.”

Oksana answered in the same way.

“They are always up to something. But we just have to bide our time,” she squeezed Eve’s hand, “it won’t be long now.”

Eve wasn’t nearly so sure. They had their plans, and contacts, and promises. But at the end of the day, Eve was just a freewoman with no family, and Oksana had only the promise of Konstantin, whose word was worth less than nothing as far as Eve was concerned, that she would be freed once the emperor decided the Twelve had been properly chastised for their behavior.

Until then, Oksana was the prized slave of Konstantin’s house, the best gladiatrix the city of Rome had ever seen.

The entire situation made Eve rage inside, enough for tears to prick her eyes. But that was not what she or Oksana needed before battle. Again in latin, Eve asked.

“Do you have to get back to the villa today?”

“Only to sleep.”

“Good. Elena?”

“I can hold down the  _ castrum _ boss, I’ll call in one of the girls for help,” Elena winked at her, and Eve reminded herself to see if she could get her hands on any of the sweets Elena liked. Her friend had her back every time, Eve could do more to show her appreciation. But that would have to wait.

Leaving her spot, she pulled Oksana by the hand to do the same. Her gladiatrix smiled, following without resistance.

Eve lived in the house attached to the _ thermopolium _ , with a good enough room and a better bed at her disposal. There was nothing Eve could do about the arena, but so long as Oksana was here, in Eve’s bed, she was safe.

**Author's Note:**

> Glossary:  
> Sine Cerere et Baccho friget Venus: "Without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus freezes." From a comedic play by Terentius, means something like, 'without food and wine, love freezes.'
> 
> Thermopolium: Outdoor cook-shop were people could buy ready-made food. It was mostly used by the lower classes, since those were the people who usually lived in the kind of housing that didn't have a kitchen. Eve's place is shamelessly based off the thermopolium [recently discovered in Pompeii.](https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/italy-pompeii-to-open-ancient-street-food-diner-to-visitors.html)
> 
> Garum: A kind of fermented sauce ubiquitous in Ancient Rome. Made from fish, it was used kinda like ketchup is today.
> 
> Denarii: Rome's currency, made of silver.
> 
> Calcei: A kind of closed foot-wear used when out and about the city, very useful to keep out the muck and mud of the street.
> 
> Spartoli: A nickname for the watchmen/firefighters of Ancient Rome, meaning "little bucket fellows". Their formal name was Vigiles. Their forces were composed of slaves, they dealt with petty crime and small disturbances of the peace as well as fires. For more important stuff, the cohorts urbanae would be called in.
> 
> Ludus: The training place for gladiators. By the time this story is set, the late reign of Augustus, these are not completely independent anymore, as throwing games is now the Emperor's prerogative. 
> 
> Lamia: A monster from greek mythology, she is a kind of evil spirit who would eat children and curse men. Here, a nom de guerre for another gladiatrix.
> 
> Mucia and Claudia: Two patrician families. The Claudia were particularly wealthy and large, being the source of a fair few numbers of future emperors.
> 
> Castrum: A fortified military camp.
> 
> Welp, that was a lot of stuff, I hope the words didn't throw anyone off! The idea behind this au came from that post about genre movies set in historical times, so here we have spies in ancient Rome! With gladiators! Creative, I know, but Villanelle as gladiator is just too good to pass up. Her choice of name honors Achilles, because of course she would compare herself to the best fighter in greek mythology. And the one who is almost as dramatic as herself.
> 
> Ah, a quick note on dumplings: As far as I know, the earliest mentions of them are about 200 years after this point, and from China. Bear with me, Eve is a culinary visionary here.
> 
> And another on gladiatrices: There is decent proof that they were a thing, but they never reached the kind of fame male gladiators did. And as with their male counterpart, they were slaves. Slavery in ancient Rome is very different from the more recent model of slavery we have contact with, so while being a slave always fucking sucks, one could live the paradox of being quite wealthy and famous while still being a slave in Rome. Villanelle's situation is something like that, not as famous, but she's been well paid for her fights.
> 
> [Villanelle's necklace](https://sidhehound.tumblr.com/post/182306431116/roman-jewelry-a-gold-necklace-top-and-gold), but in silver, and [her bracelet.](https://sidhehound.tumblr.com/post/631833900027609088/graeco-egyptian-gold-snake-bracelet-dated-to-the)
> 
> And that was more notes, holy shit. Whoever had the patience for reading all this, thank you and I hope it was fun!


End file.
